NYAccents: Fashion Design Career Blog

Costing, Tracking, Negotiating Oh My!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 14:24:00 +0000

Garment Production, The Heart & Soul of the Business

So what does the world of fashion production involve? We're talking the garment costing side of the business and not fashion show production. These are two different job descriptions.

A job in production is what I call the nuts and bolts of the business. It's a position where you're intimately involved in the most crucial aspects of making sure that margin goals are met and sales and fit samples are approved in time to meet production delivery times.

I'm writing from first hand experience. I started my career in fashion design and then switched to the production side of the business because I find that it's more gratifying. I love working with numbers and keeping an eye on production lead times to make sure that delivery is kept.

This type of job is very interactive within internal departments and with the domestic or overseas coordinator that's handling the production. Yes! I mentioned domestic production. You might be surprised that production on a small scale is being done right here in the USA---New York, California, North Carolina to name a few. There are a few well known designers that incorporate domestic production along with overseas production.

To give you an idea of the duties involved in this position, let's start from the beginning of a season. The design team at your company have just finished confirming their styles for spring/summer and they're now making the styles "real" by creating style numbers. The Pre-Production Coordinator will assist the design team by entering the bill of materials which includes fabric, trim and garment color names. This data is normally entered into a WebPDM type of computer system. Although, the computer system that is used depends on the company that you work for. The Pre-Production coordinator will also assist with allocating styles to different manufacturers based on which manufacturer is the best in achieving certain trim applications, best known for producing quality knits or wovens or special garment washing techniques for example.

Once the sketch and bill of materials are entered in the computer, the Pre-Production Coordinator can create a PDF file of the bill of materials which includes the sketch and email this to the coordinator at the manufacturing company. This will give the coordinator at the manufacturing company a heads up of what styles to expect even before the technical specs are completed for the style.

The production team then sends out target costs to the coordinator at the manufacturer's office. This cost is based on the fashion company's profit goal. Once the complete specs and bill of materials are at the manufacturer's office the follow up game starts! The Production Associate then requests an initial cost break down of each garment and a first proto sample delivery date.

Once the first sample arrives and initial costing is in. The styles get reviewed by the entire team in a meeting (design, production, sales, creative director) to make sure that all is on the right track. This is where revisions are made to the style. If necessary a second proto is requested to achieve the desired look before going into sales samples.

The Production Coordinator will negotiate costing and request a time and action plan from the manufacturer. Once sales samples are approved, the Production Coordinator requests fit samples and will monitor the fit process to make sure that fit samples are approved on time to meet production delivery to the fashion company's distribution center.

Final costing is then confirmed along with the delivery schedule. Lab dips and bulk have to be approved as well along with packaging and hang tags. This process is very fascinating and complex. It's super high energy and one has to be amazingly organized. One has to be able to resolve production issues that can come up. Each season will present different challenges. It's a job where you have to be creative in terms of resolving issues and make sure that all aspects of approvals are kept. It's wise to also keep up to date on manufacturing news and trends.

This is just a snapshot of the role of a Production Associate in general. The role of this position varies based on the company that one works for. In general, this position has to communicate well with all internal teams that I listed above and with the manufacturer. Communication is done thru meetings, emails and phone conversations. The computer programs used are WebPDM and definitely Excel for garment and lab dip tracking purposes. Also some companies use a PLM (product, lifestyle, management) web based system. This all varies company to company.

So, if you're interested in jobs in production, some job titles includes:

Pre-Production Coordinator
Production Assistant or Coordinator
Production Manager
Director--Production
Sourcing Manager and Director

It's a wonderful path to venture if you'd like to be in the nitty gritty of the business and want the responsibility of making sure that the company's profit goal is achieved while also making sure that garment execution and quality is maintained.

Whew! It's a huge responsibility but, somebody has to do it. Oh! and depending on the company that you work for, you may get to travel to the manufacturing facility or go on sourcing trips!

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Hello

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 02:58:00 +0000

Thank you all for visiting! I'd just like to say that I'm working on a few new posts for this month. If you'd like, you can follow me on twitter. I'm much more active there and on twitter, I announce when my new blog posts here are live.

Keep posting comments, it lets me know that this blog is of interest.

Best wishes to you, much success and remember to have Fun with Fashion!

-Kali

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What's a Fashion Colorist?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:12:00 +0000

The fashion industry is very unique and dynamic. It's a wonderful industry to be a part of! Not everyone is a design director or an assistant designer. There are other major roles that assist in the process of development through production.

A fashion colorist is a person whose role is to approve lab dips and bulk fabric according to the color standards that the design team choses to use for each style. For example, the design team designs a scoop neck tee offered in six colorways which includes one print (tangerine, sun, turquoise, sand, grass green, rose print). The color standards are physically mailed to the production manufacturer. The color standards can be yarn swatches or Pantone color swatches. In the case of a print like our rose print example, the CAD (color aided design) team will produce artwork that the design team chooses to use. This artwork can be emailed or physically mailed to the production manufacturer.

The production manufacturer will send lab dip swatches to be approved before they proceed to make sales samples and proceed into bulk production. The colorist reviews the lab dips which should be in the desired fabric chosen by the design team. The lab dips will be received on a card with fabric quality details and color names of each lab dip. The lab dips are approximately 1" x 1" in size. The colorist reviews the lab dips against the design team's color standards in a color cabinet or what's popularly known as a light box.

Light box photo courtsey of Gester Instruments

The light box has different light settings so that the colors can be a sure match. Depending on the type of light box that's used, the color settings can range from incandescent, outdoor, department store and ultra violet. The fashion colorist approves or rejects lab dips sent from the production manufacturer by emailing comments to the manufacturer. For example, color comments can be as follows:

-Grass Green: Go 20% less blue. Send a 2nd submit for review
-Sun: Approved. Proceed with sales samples in this color

The colorist has a sharp eye and is great at organizing lab dip submits to bring into design status update meetings with the internal development team. The colorist also has a good filing system to refer to lab dip comments for future references. This is a very important position as it's the colorists enthusiasm and commitment to perfection that's needed to be in charge of this process.

If this sounds like a position that you're interested in, try working as an intern to get a feel of this position.

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Collaborate for Growth & Success

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 16:53:00 +0000

Happy Birthday to the great Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

This post is a reminder about collaborating with others to expand your market and reach more potential customers. So how does this relate to Mr. King? He collaborated with others who shared his views which allowed him to reach a wider audience. Here are just a few ways that King worked with others to bring more attention to his cause:

-The Southern Christian Leadership Conference
-The Poor People's Campaign
-The Sanitation Worker's Campaign

As we celebrate his birthday today and honor all of his achievements, let's explore how we can learn from his efforts by applying them to our fashion business. This could include joining fashion groups in your area, inviting other designer friends to help establish a local fashion week or donating to non profit causes.

Here's my favorite King tribute video. It's a great example of artist collaboration. There are so many wonderful artists featured like New Edition, Stephanie Mills, Fat Boys and Whitney Houston among a talented host of others. I can't imagine this song as a solo performance but as a group collaboration it's dynamic!

Wishing you All the Best in 2012!

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How to Become a Fashion Designer 2

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 03:22:00 +0000

Fashion Designer, Juan Delgado answers this question in part two of his interview!

Juan's designs photographed by Ehsan Ababafha

In part two of this video interview, fashion designer Juan Delgado's motto is to just do it! That is, if you are talented and are thinking about becoming a fashion designer, there's no better time than now to showcase your talent to the world! Do it in a way that feels comfortable to you. If you want to start by showcasing your designs to family and friends, great! That's a start. Talent is a natural gift and sharing your talent makes your gift even more special. By sharing, you enlighten others to your creative world.

Juan definitely enlightened me in the second part of this interview as he discusses the cultural differences on the island of Hispanola between the African and French traditions.

Come and take a peak at Juan's portfolio! He's only in high school and already has had his own fashion show.

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How to Become a Fashion Designer

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 04:32:00 +0000

Juan Delgado has the answer to this question!

Designer, Juan Delgado

Who is Juan? I met Juan in Tarrytown, NY and discovered his interest in fashion design. I noticed his desire and ambition which is truly magnetic and genuine. His love of fashion is truly amazing given his age. Juan is a senior in high school and has so much confidence and drive that he produced his very own fashion show featuring his unique designs. His fashion show was presented at the Tarrytown library earlier this year.

His idea is to share his talent now and not wait until he graduates from college which of course his major will be fashion design.

Come with us on this adventurous journey as Juan tells the story of his last memory of his native country and how it sparked an interest in fashion design!

This video is part one of two.

Enjoy!

***Turn your volume up more if needed to hear Juan's voice better :)

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Costing a Garment - The Real Scoop!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 13:01:00 +0000

Ever wonder how apparel companies deal with costing their garments? I've just read an interesting article that I'd like to share! The company's name is Bento, they give their readers full transparency on costing one of their t-shirt styles. They break down the costs involved with the following:

*fabric cost
*pattern making cost for the t-shirt
*sample cost for having samples made to approve for fit
*grading the t-shirts for a size run
*labels and hang tag cost
*manufacturing cost for production

After the cost breakdown, Bento shares their profit for this particular t-shirt and openly shares the cost that they sell the t-shirt to their stockist (retailer), and the price that the retailer sells it to consumers.

"So, each t-shirt costs a grand total of $30.00 to produce. We sell them to stockists for around $40.00 and they sell them to you for around $80.00."

Here's the link to read the full article: http://thisisbento.com/tag/finance/

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Are You Curious About Being a Fashion Designer? Jumpstart Your Career with Workable Proven Tactics!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 14:15:00 +0000

Follow our featured New York fashion designer for 3 quick tips to get you in!

Being a fashion designer certainly has it's share of roller coaster thrills. Every season is going to be different from the last. So, how do you jump into this constantly moving industry and run your own fashion business at the same time? It's good to have guidance from an experienced peer for career advice.

Today, we have a fabulous apparel designer whose t-shirts are worn by fashion savvy men and women who love rockin’ unique tees. This designer is going to share with you three quick tips to help you gain entry into the New York fashion industry while managing your own fashion apparel business. These exclusive tips are universal so use them wherever your fashion industry is located.

So, who is this fabulous designer and why should you take her advice? Adriana Marie is the designer behind her vintage inspired line of t-shirts for men and women. Her company’s name is Adriana Marie Co.

Adriana Marie (Fashion Designer)

How did Adriana start working in the New York fashion design industry and create her own business?

Adriana studied fashion design at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and moved to New York to work in the fashion industry in 2008. She started her t-shirt line in 2009 while working full-time in the fashion industry.

“I started really pushing my tee shirt line in April 2009. I was doing research for about a year prior. I was so dedicated that when I moved here (NYC) I had no internet so I would sneak into Hunter College and tell them that I was a part of the student government and they let me use their computers. lol.”

Amore Collection, Adriana Marie Co.
Adriana has worked for major apparel companies such as Talbots as a Pre-Production Coordinator. She also has the following experiences as she quotes:

“I have worked for a bathing suit company in Florida, Lila Nikole, worked for BCBG as their visual merchandiser of their flagship store and I have also worked for Christian Francis Roth and Tory Burch.“

She also has the experience of working with notable television personalities such as America's Next Top Models Jade Cole, Bre and Tocarra. She has also worked with singer/songwriter Ellie Goulding and CSI Miami's Eva LaRue.

Adriana is able to balance working in the industry and designing her t-shirt collection. The beauty of her tees is that they incorporate art with positive inspirational quotes. She grew up with inspirational quotes all around her, literally!

"My parents posted positive quotes and affirmations around the house to promote a positive lifestyle and enforce self-development. So basically, when you looked anywhere we were always reading something positive, inspiring and empowering."

Wow! Adriana has an awesome background. We can see that she started with an idea, went to school, moved to New York City and did whatever it took to make her dream come true. This can happen for you as well! It takes consistent work and dedication to make your dream a reality.

Amore Collection, Adriana Marie Co.

Now it’s your turn to shine! Here are the exclusive tips that Adriana shares with you so that you can make the big leap into the wonderful world of fashion design:

1) Fashion design portfolio maintenance and computer programs to know:

“Keep up to date on your portfolio regularly. It’s such a competitive industry and this is how you sell yourself. Make sure that you know Illustrator and Photo shop for sure. Other programs such as the Microsoft Office programs and Outlook (email) are a necessity. Most jobs use different systems so it’s hard to pinpoint what to suggest...like at Talbots we used WebPDM and at my current job we use Electra Gallery.”

2) What's the quickest way to get a freelance or full-time job?

“Be current with what the industry is looking for. It’s a good idea to work with a placement agency because, they get the jobs first hand. Sometimes when you submit your resume online it goes into a pool and if they don’t call you, there is less of a chance to get looked at in the future, agencies help with that! “

3) What's the best way to manage working a job in the fashion industry and building your business?

“Wow… It’s not easy. I work around the clock and I’m surrounded by my business. The best way to manage both is to be on top of everything and make sure that you don’t let anything lag or pass you by. You have to be on your A game at all times.”

It looks like being organized is one of the keys to success. You already have the talent! Now you just have to manage your day.

These are wonderful, workable tips from a real life experienced professional. Thanks Adriana for sharing these quick tips!

But, that's not all! Adriana is very active in the fashion community. You'll want to follow her for more insights and to be a part of her great adventure as she builds her fashion business.

“I invite everyone to visit my website and sign up on the contact form for new collection releases, new promotions and events!”

Check out her fashion blog, friend her on facebook and follow her on twitter. She is always sharing her New York fashion design experience with her friends on these networks…and most definitely check out her t-shirt collection. The warm weather is here, it’s time to rock cool inspirational tees from a New York designer!

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Looking for Clarity & a Boost of Creativity for Your Fashion Business?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 14 May 2011 22:15:00 +0000

I just came across this exercise while I was not feeling so well. I was sick a few days ago with flu like symptoms. The only food that I had in two days was a fresh lemon and honey mix drink and tons of water. Believe it or not, although I was feeling bad physically, I was able to get my work done. I had a boost of mental clarity and confidence! I put two and two together and realized that I was on a mini fast since I was only digesting liquids. This was helping me to gain new ideas and have clarity. I loved it! It makes me respect my body, mind and spirit even more. I now know that fasting is not only to loose weight, to cleanse the body or to heal a physical condition it can be used for mind clarity and to solve creative challenges.

How about you? Do you have mental clarity or a burst of creative energy when you're fasting?

The next time when you're not feeling so well and are only drinking liquids see if your mind is more sharp even though you may be in physical pain. Everyone is different so you may have your own unique experience.

This is just one way to gain clarity and creativity. I hope that it works for you!

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Fashion Job Etiquette-Cell Phones at Work

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 21:07:00 +0000

Do you have on the job etiquette as it relates to cell phone use at work? It's very easy these days to run your business while working a day job with the use of smart phones. You can get so much done. The trick is to do it in such a way that it does not distract you from your obligations on the job. Staying professional and respectful of your primary responsibility is key!

Here are two tips to get you through:

1) Make full use of your lunch time:

The cool thing about working in the New York fashion district is that fabric stores and trim shops are right in the vicinity of most fashion office buildings so, you don't have to travel too far on your lunch break if you work in the fashion district. Meeting a client during lunch is great also because, there's so many cafe's nearby the fashion offices. Just find a quiet cafe to conduct business.

2) Cell Phone Use:

The volume should definitely be on low or better yet vibrating. Again being respectful is key. Bringing a cell phone to a company team meeting is not a good idea unless you're waiting for an emergency call. Be in the moment while at work and show your team that you're able to fully focus on your job. Constantly checking your phone while in meetings is distracting and looks like one is not interested. Check your messages on your breaks. It's ok to take a quick break to return a call but, don't return your call in the vicinity of your coworkers. The bathroom is also a definite no. Hearing toilets flushing in the background is not professional and you never know who else is there that can hear your conversation. Simply take a quick 10 minute break and go outside if there is no private space within the office. This is your private business and you do not want to jeopordize your day job by distracting your coworkers with your conversation.

The key is to mindful and respectful to others and to treat people how you will like to be treated. Just think: would you like your own employees to be distracted by their personal business while working for you?

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Discover an Ancient System that You can use to Save $$$ while Promoting Your Fabulous Clothing Line!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 19:29:00 +0000

Looking for ways to cut your costs while promoting your brand? My friend forwarded this video to me and I'd like to share with you! We're creative designers, artsy people but, when it comes to marketing and promoting our brands are we transferring that same creative energy into promoting?

Trade shows and events cost are what they are so, it's up to you to figure figure out how to cut costs.

Bartering as a method for exchange:
The sister design team of Porter Grey made it happen. Although, they still spent a pretty penny, they cut their cost dramatically by 35% or so! That's pretty amazing, don't you think? Even if you already have a financial backer, it's a great idea to only spend on what's truly needed and try bartering to cut costs.

Here's link to video:
http://money.cnn.com/video/smallbusiness/2011/02/17/smb_sbt_porter_grey.cnnmoney/

So, don't let the lack of money stop you from achieving your goals. Grab a pen and paper and start jotting down all of the ways that you can start saving today. Let your creativity soar through your entire business not just in the design aspect.

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Fashion Design Dress Contest

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 16:11:00 +0000

Here's a design contest that I just came across on the Tracy Reese fan page. You can win two tickets to her Fall 2011 show next month in NYC if you re-design a strapless dress that she offers for Spring 2011.

Here's the link for more details! This contest ends soon so check it out right away.

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=148470601873344&index=1

Good luck :)

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Handbag Design Contest

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 14:06:00 +0000

It's that time again for all handbag designers who want to enter into this yearly contest to start thinking about their submissions. The competition is called The 5th Annual Independent Handbag Designer Awards. They have a ton of different categories that you can apply for. It looks like there will be nine winners. Here are the categories:

Best Handbag in Overall Style & Design
InStyle Red Carpet Ready Evening Bag
Artisan House Award by Isabella Fiore
Best Use of SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS
Best Student Made Handbag Inspired by the colors of vitaminwater
Best Handmade Handbag
Best Green Handbag
Most Socially Responsible Handbag
Audience Fan Favorite Handbag

Here's the link for more information:

"http://www.handbagdesigner101.com/ihda" target="_blank"> http://www.handbagdesigner101.com/ihda

Good luck on winning and if you do decide to enter the contest post a link here of your handbag submission. I would love to see it :)

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Getting Started in Fashion Design

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 19:28:00 +0000

Happy New Year! Glad to continue posting here for another year. It's my pleasure to share information about the how to's of the fashion design industry with these posts. So, thank you for joining me for another year!

Here's a post that I think you will really enjoy. How do you know if your designs will fly? Meaning, will other people think that they are cool enough to buy? Well, I came across this site that I think you will absolutely LOVE! It's a super cool site where you can upload your fashion illustration sketches and have your online community vote "yea! or nay :(".

Here's the chance for you to test your designs while they are in illustration stage before you produce a collection. We don't have time to waste money these days therefore, we need to be as much on target as we possibly can. On this site, you'll have reviews and insights that could help you tailor to your market better. We could all use honest opinions when it comes to our work and not the sugar coated compliments that we get from our mom. We need honest opinions from our potential customers.

So check out this link. The site is called: http://wouldyourockthis.com/

Try it out! It's a very colorful and inviting site.

If you want to practice your fashion illustration skills. This same company, Would you Rock this, also holds fashion illustration meet up sessions where you can practice your skills on a live model. I think these meet up sessions are in New York City only. Here's the link for more details: www.meetup.com/FashionDrawingSession

Let me know if you've tested out your designs on this site, I would love to see them. It's all about sharing and growing.

I hope that you've found this tip on getting started in fashion design useful.

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Upcoming Fashion Apparel Trade Shows

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 18:33:00 +0000

Hi Everyone, the new year is upon us. Do you already have your fashion/trade show schedule already planned? You can use this widget to go to biztrade.com and get more details for shows that you are interested in. This site is very detailed. You can filter trade shows by country or industry and it seems to be pretty up to date.

To use this widget, click on any link that you are interested in or go to the bottom of the widget where it says "View All" you will be taken to their site to view the list of upcoming shows!

Good Luck and Best Wishes in Promoting and Selling Your Designs!

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The Beauty of Resting, Know when to Rest

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 01:27:00 +0000

What do you mean rest in this day of being virtually plugged-in 24/7? Some days our bodies and spirit need a day off from the routine of workaholism. I know this routine all too well. I used to work all day and many nights at jobs that I was not happy in. This only lead to stress and the idea of feeling guilty of taking time off was insane. What a horrible position to be in? This situation also robbed me of my creativity. How can you flow and share your creative talents if you're overworked?

Wherever you are in your life, I hope that you are taking advantage of your personal days and use them when you need to not only use sick days when you are physically sick. Life is way to beautiful to miss out on the simplicity of resting and being re-energized. Besides as designers, artists and entreprenuers, we definitely need some down time to re-charge our creative batteries.

Try this for one day:
*Go for a walk, jog or do your favorite exercise
*Eat the very best food you can afford
*Don't use the computer, cell phone or any electronic gadget, instead read a book, sketch some new ideas or write in your journal. Oh and no, tv well maybe you can watch tv if you choose but, why not go all the way and enjoy some free time away from the tube.

Enjoy the beauty of resting!

The next day, resume your life as normal and see how you feel. I am actually going to try this this coming weekend so I will let you know how it goes!

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Freelance Fashion vs Full-Time Jobs

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 02:00:00 +0000

It's so good to know that we have options in the work world. Depending on our desires at a specific time in our work life we can choose to either work full-time or freelance. Both has it's pros and cons. I'd like to share some of the benefits from my experiences.

Freelance Pros:
-Flexibility: Great to do when you need the flexibility to work on your own projects, meet clients and exhibit or attend shows.
-Focused: Most freelance jobs are very specific so, you don't have to juggle too many tasks that you are not assigned to do.
-Exposure: Working at different jobs builds your experience of working in various computer systems and, job cultures more quickly than at a full-time permanent job.
-Insurance: Health insurance may be available through your freelance agency.

Freelance Cons:
-Pay: Income may not be steady depending on how aggressive one is in finding work (includes working outside of the freelance agencies)

Full-Time Pros:
-Pay: Great for "continuous" pay (as long as your position is needed). You may earn enough to have the money you need to continuously fund your projects if necessary.
-Growth: Career growth and build relationships based on your interest in moving forward with your company.
-Insurance: Most likely to have health insurance options.

Full-Time Cons:
-Time Consuming: Definitely time consuming which includes, time dedicated to the full work day plus any over-time and, commuting back and forth to a job. This may or may not become a challenge in working on your own projects depending on how organized and determined one is.

Share your own pros and cons of working freelance and full-time by posting a comment here.

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Fashion Week is Here Again! Manuel De La Cruz, The Sky's the Limit

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 03:45:00 +0000

It's so exciting to be a part of this creative industry. Every season, you have the chance to view your favorite designer's collection. In this case, I will be attending the Manuel De La Cruz show this Saturday. I love seeing friends in a position to show their work to a wide audience such as Manuel.

So who is Manuel De La Cruz? Manuel is originally from Guatemala. He has studied at some of the finest schools in Milan, Florence and even at the famed Parsons the New School for Design in New York City to prepare for his career in design. He's worked behind the scenes as a designer for top notch, well known designers that we all love, Marc Jacobs, Ralph Lauren, Yves Saint Laurent, Gucci, Calvin Klein, Givenchy and more! My goodness, with a background this extensive it's obvious that Manuel would break out and design his own collection. Wouldn't you?

Manuel will present his Spring/Summer 2011 collection this Saturday September 11th at the Metropolitan Pavilion in NYC. As noted in the press release, this collection is inspired by Semana Santa (Holy Week) from his native traditions in Guatemala.

Visit Manuel's site to view his previous collections and to read more about his bio.
manuel-delacruz.com

Fashion is so much fun! With dedication, creative talents and an audience, the sky's the limit.

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Start a Fashion Line & Get Noticed - 3 Quick Tips!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 04:59:00 +0000

Ok, so what’s the deal with breaking into the fashion design business? My good friend Minna Kao is definitely getting the press to notice her designs. She’s been reviewed in so many fashion articles as someone to lookout for in the bridal scene. She’s a designer in NYC who is super talented. Her label is MinnaK. She designs the most beautiful evening gowns and she does this all while working a full-time job in fashion as a Production Associate for a major corporation.

Minna shares a few tips with you that you can use to start your own fashion line and propel your career!

1) Finding Your Target Audience

Go to the stores that you think your customers go to and research price points, style, what's in (not the sales rack), and the color scheme.

2) Cutting Costs

Start by silk-screening t-shirts or making things from your home. If it looks professional, no one would know it came from the garage, and you can possibly find backers to help support your love of design. The internet is an economical way to spread the word, and the most popular. It is extremely saturated, but research all the social networks, and put yourself out there.

3) Designing and Promoting Your Biz while Working Full-Time

It is extremely difficult to work full time AND come home and work. When I have an idea, I need the mental space to conceptualize it so, I've created a schedule for myself in order to stay disciplined. I love designing. I won't ever stop, so for me, it's worth those extra hours to do what I love until I can do it full time.

In addition, I find inspiration in the strength of women and children, so I want my love of design to generate money so that I can return it to my favorite organization - Foundation For International Medical Relief of
Children.

*Minna Kao pictured in the center with two models wearing her gowns.

Check out MinnaK’s collection at:http://www.minnak.com/collection

Visit MinnaK's blog at: http://minnak.com/blog

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Fashion and Health- 15th Day Master Cleanse

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 15:55:00 +0000

What a journey! Fashion and health really does go hand in hand. Now I'm ready to eat again. 15 days of the Master Cleanse is such a wonderful detox. I got rid of a lot of toxins. Now it's time to re-build with super nutrition and enjoy eating again. Wow, I wonder how my first complete whole meal will taste?

Staying focused and determined was key and not giving into cravings. This type of discipline is great for improvement in other areas of life such as running your own business. There's a feeling of confidence and clarity that shined through towards my last week of this detox.

This short video shows you how easy it is to have the Master Cleanse ingredients on the go! There's no excuse for not detoxing periodically. You might just love the experience.

"Fashion and Health go hand in hand. Make sure that your outside fabulous self matches your inside fabulous self. Try the Master Cleanse or any method of detoxing that suites your lifestlye."-Kali

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Disclaimer: I am a fashion designer. Any health suggestions that I share come from my personal experiences. If you follow any health related suggestions on this blog, fully consider the pros and cons. Also do your own research and if necessary consult with your doctor.

Fashion and Health-10th Day Master Cleanse

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 17:57:00 +0000

Check out inspiration for a 10 day Master Cleanse. Congrats!!! I've completed the minimum time period for the Master Cleanse. Ten days of no solid food, only the lemonade drink. If I can do it, you can too!

I've decided to extend my cleansing for a few more days longer though, to improve upon what I've started, a deep cleansing. I am on a journey to make sure that my outside fabulous self really does match my inside fabulous self!

"Fashion and Health go hand in hand. Make sure that your outside fabulous self matches your inside fabulous self. Try the Master Cleanse or any method of detoxing that suites your lifestlye."-Kali

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Disclaimer: I am a fashion designer. Any health suggestions that I share come from my personal experiences. If you follow any health related suggestions on this blog, fully consider the pros and cons. Also do your own research and if necessary consult with your doctor.

Throughout Your Day

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:23:00 +0000

I have a question for you. Does anyone repeat affirmations or declarations as you go about your normal day or even on weekends? I find it fun to keep reminding myself of a few key affirmations while I'm working or even while commuting to work. It reminds me that I'm really in charge of my life. Even when hit with a challenge while working, repeating affirmations helps me get through them. How about you?

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Fashion and Health-The Master Cleanse!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 00:05:00 +0000

Hi Everyone,

Hope that you are having a wonderful summer! Here's a quick video that I'd like to share about looking good and feeling good.

"Fashion and Health go hand in hand. Make sure that your outside fabulous self matches your inside fabulous self. Try the Master Cleanse or any method of detoxing that suites your lifestlye."-Kali

Subscribe to NYAccents: Fashion Design Career Blog by Email

Disclaimer: I am a fashion designer. Any health suggestions that I share come from my personal experiences. If you follow any health related suggestions on this blog, fully consider the pros and cons. Also do your own research and if necessary consult with your doctor.

Enjoy Your Night's Sleep and Get Good Energy

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 03:21:00 +0000

Getting lots of sleep at night has proven to be really beneficial for me and is one of the ways that I have good energy the next day. Juggling a full-time job and a business, it's easy and enticing to stay up all night to work on your own entreprenurial endeavors. I must say that I've learned the hard way. If I consistently do late nighters, I feel worn out. I can do one late night a week but more than one late night per week is asking for big trouble down the road!

So what's the solution?

When I go to bed before 11:00PM I wake up earlier with good energy in the morning and I have the time to devote an hour or so to the business. It's much better than staying up late and feeling tired the next day.

Having dinner before 8:00PM and not going to bed with a full stomach and also going to bed before 11:00PM are two main things that I struggled with last year but, I am definitely making them a priority this year. I've learned to eat a lighter meal at night and have lunch as the main meal since this is when our digestive systems are at the highest. It's all about adjusting our schedules. When we make something a routine for a few days it becomes a habit. These are two habits that I'm looking forward to keeping.

Are you an entreprenuer and work full-time? How do you spend your evenings after work?

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Back in Action! Fashion Design Career & Business Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 00:35:00 +0000

I've definitely been out of the blogging world for the past three months and have truly missed it. Now that I have a few days off. I just wanted to let you know what's been going on. My freelance fashion job has hired me full-time and my business, http://www.newyorkaccents.com has been really picking up so, I haven't been posting as often as I would like.

Now's a good time to post and wish everyone who visits a Happy New Year. The one thing that I would truly love to do more consistently in 2010 is to publish more posts. I do have a lot to share with you regarding being an entreprenuer and a full-time employee in the fashion industry. So much is going on which is a very good thing.

What about you? What are your goals for 2010?

Wishing you the best and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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